AFTER a round of byes on 27 October, followed by three successive washout week-ends where no league cricket was played, Harlequins Cricket Club suffered a clean sweep of defeats in all five scheduled matches last weekend.
On Sunday, Harlequins’ flagship team took on a very confident, high performing Hillary Malvern team. Quins were told to bat first on a sticky yielding wicket. Quins lost their opening batsman in the first over and a string of middle order batters with some degree of regularity in the middle juncture of the innings. However, it was all the while that number three batsman Aziz Khan fended off Hillary Malvern’s bowling for a good period of over an hour. Later he was joined by Andrea Dal Moro who performed immaculately to save Quins from its precarious position, taking Quins through to a marginally defendable tally of 140 runs. Aziz top scored for Quins with 49 runs and Andrea got 35 runs.
In the afternoon session the wicket surface had lost much of the moisture making it significantly easier for batsmen during the Hillary Malvern innings. Strike bowler Kevin Kettle beat Hillary Malvern opener Joshua Palmer in multiple occasions but had absolutely no supportive seamers with any penetration from the other end. Right arm orthodox finger spinner Andrea Dal Moro was the only other bowler to perform with any extent of credibility. The lack of depth in Quins’ bowling department allowed Joshua to score 53 runs not out and other opener Ryan Vaughn to play out an undefeated explosive innings comprising 74 runs. Hillary Malvern won this encounter by 10 wickets in the 21st over.
Other team results: Quins 3rds lost to DHS Rhythm by 34 runs; Quins 4ths lost its 30 over Division 3 match at Penguin Street. However, the club is investigating possible breach of code by the opposition; Quins’s 6ths lost to Crusaders 4, which won by five wickets; Quins’s 2nds lost to Hillary, with 12 overs remaining and three wickets in hand.
The club will be hosting its annual sixers competition during the upcoming long weekend.
Seniors practice is from 4.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Interested players between the ages of 11 and 13 years can contact Clinton on 071 007 9745 regarding coaching sessions and youth league cricket matches. Contact 073 795 0363 for any other club information.
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